THE WEEK; English-Language Question Gets a No Answer

By JENNIFER WEISS

Published: September 10, 2006

The Bergen County clerk has rejected the bid by Mayor Steve Lonegan and the Bogota Borough Council to ask voters in a referendum in November whether English should be made the borough's official language. The borough is challenging her decision in court.

County Clerk Kathleen Donovan said one of the two ballot questions Bogota submitted for her review -- about the purchase of two fire trucks -- was ''clearly appropriate.'' As for the other, she said, ''I asked for a legal opinion on it because it seemed to be outside of the scope of a local government question.''

In his opinion, John Carbone, a Ridgewood lawyer who is the counsel to the clerk, says that the English-language question is unlawful and that the initiative would violate state and federal constitutional rights.

But Andrew Fede, the borough attorney, said he believed the question was legal and hoped that a judge would rule in Bogota's favor in time to put it on the November ballot. JENNIFER WEISS